A Duncan, OK father says that the three teens accused of shooting Chris Lane in the back were gang members who were trying to recruit his own son.

James Johnson, 52, called the police to tell them that the accused killers were hiding in the car park of the Immauel Baptist Church car park at about 5pm, two hours after they allegedly shot Lane.

“My son called me and said, “They’re saying they’re coming to kill me,” so I called the police and they got here within about three minutes,” Johnson told the Herald Sun.

Mr Johnson claimed that Edwards Jr had threatened the life of his own 17-year-old son Christopher on Facebook. His son was at home with his mother and sisters near the church when he received the death threat.

“They threatened to kill my son because they are in a gang, the Crips, and were trying to get my son in it and I wouldn’t let him do it.

“I told him he couldn’t run with those boys. He’s a little terrified.”

Mr Johnson said the Crips, a predominantly African American street gang that began in Los Angeles in 1969 and had been in Duncan for the past few years.

He said the group consisted of teenagers who he called “wannabes.”

“I’ve been living here all my life and we never had this, but in the past few years gangs from Lawton have been coming here,” Johnson said of the Crips.

Johnson’s son also attends Duncan High School, where suspect Luna and Edwards Jr. were students. He said he knew both boys, and described them as “troublemakers” and “bullies” who had “no parental supervision.”

Edwards was already on probation for a prior offense, and some media have reported that his mother is in jail. We’re working to confirm the latter.

Bryan Preston has been a leading conservative blogger and opinionator since founding his first blog in 2001. Bryan is a military veteran, worked for NASA, was a founding blogger and producer at Hot Air, was producer of the Laura Ingraham Show and, most recently before joining PJM, was Communications Director of the Republican Party of Texas.